SIMON GRAYSON watched Town grind out a crucial 1-0 home win over Hartlepool and said: “We’ve played better football and only drawn, but we’ll take three points however they come.”

SIMON GRAYSON watched Huddersfield Town grind out a crucial 1-0 home win over Hartlepool and said: “We’ve played better football and only drawn, but we’ll take three points however they come.”

Promotion-chasing Town, who triumphed through substitute Alan Lee’s 75th-minute strike, remain fourth in League I, but are just two points behind second-placed Sheffield United, who lost 3-2 at Walsall.

Grayson, whose side had drawn their previous two games at Stevenage and Bury, added: “We started brightly, passed the ball around and made their keeper make some good saves.

“We really needed a breakthrough to settle everyone down, but it didn’t come, so I’m pleased at the way the lads stuck to their task.”

Lee came on for Lee Novak as part of a double change in the 62nd minute – Gary Roberts replaced Scott Arfield – and Grayson added: “We wanted to affect the game, and that’s how it worked out.

“Alan started my first two games, but was on the bench on Saturday and this time he came on and made a big impact – which is what you want from a substitute.

“He came on, hustled and bustled, and it was a great strike for the goal.”

The manager brought Calum Woods in at left back in place of Gary Naysmith and explained: “We wanted to give Gary a bit of a breather and Calum gives us attacking options down the flank.”

Skipper Peter Clarke is in line to continue his return from surgery on a double hernia when Town face Chesterfield in a development match today.

Grayson said: “It is a chance for me to look over some of the players who haven’t been involved so far in a match situation, and also for them to get some valuable time on the pitch.

“Everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction and they will all have a chance to feature before the end of the season because there is a lot of football still to be played.”

Town’s next League I game is at home to Rochdale on Saturday and Grayson continued: “We want to go unbeaten from now until the end of the season. If we do that we will have a great chance of going up.”

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Roy Wright was appointed editor of The Huddersfield Daily Examiner in 2002. Prior to this he was assistant editor of The Liverpool Echo for three years. He has also worked at the Hull Daily Mail as well as a number of Press agencies.

Roy grew up in Burnley, Lancashire and has worked in the local newspaper industry for 25 years.